This article aims to sort out the concepts surrounding ArchiMate and UML and highlight the problems you face when you need to model information and have chosen these as your modeling standard.
There are several concrete issues:
- How do you describe business objects in more detail, for example in a conceptual model?
- How to create a traceability from concepts to information entities?
- How do you describe the realization of an information model in connection with the Data Object?
- What objects are used to set requirements for what information should / should be sent between two applications?
We have tried to summarize these issues in two issues:
ArchiMate has two objects to represent Information and Data:
- Business Object
- Information Object
In UML, the object Class is used to represent Information.
Symbols and definitions:
More information about definitions and examples can be found below, under Sources.
By combining these two standards, it is possible to construct the following meta-model:
Meta model (selection) for ArchiMate and UML
ArchiMate lacks the ability to model concepts and information at a detailed level. In UML, the Class object is used for modeling concepts, information and data.
A concept model in UML can be linked to Business Object in ArchiMate to provide a more detailed description.
Data Object in ArchiMate can be linked to a data model in UML which can then relate to a Business Object to describe how this has been realized in the form of data.
Problems with the model
Business Object represents a real thing, something that is created in, for example, a process. If you drop a Business Object on the foot, it feels. To describe the requirements for what information we want to be able to handle about a real thing, we use information entities and create an information model. But which object corresponding to the Data Object is used to denote the collection of information described in the information model?
Solution: The information object
A study of standards leads us to the conclusion that there is an object between the business object (Business Object) and the data object (Data Object): the Information Object.
In Prime Arch, we have chosen to use I31 Information Object to represent "information about a real thing". It is important to note that there is a difference between a bottle of Loka and the information we want to be able to handle about this, which in turn may differ from how we have realized the information in an application.
The above proposal for a meta-model in a combination of ArchiMate and UML thus looks like this in Prime Arch:
Prime Archs meta model (selection)
Full definitions and examples for Prime Arch's meta objects can be found below, under Links.
By placing the two meta-models on top of each other, you see that they agree on all points except one: The information object.
More information about the meaning of the information object can be found here (login required).
Comparison of the objects in the two meta-models
ArchiMate and UML do not have the Information object even when combined.
Comparison of the meta-models
